Response to Grudem Endorsement of Romney

In October, Dr. Wayne Grudem came out with an endorsement of Mitt Romney. Below are my thoughts in response:

As a reformed, evangelical Christian, Dr. Grudem has always been (and will continue to be) a hero of mine. Still, I was very disappointed by his endorsement of Romney.

His endorsement is not saying anything new. Sadly, it seems to be based mostly on fear and misinformed political pragmatism. Let me explain.

Yes, Romney is experienced. So is Huckabee, who has more executive experience (10.5 years as governor of Arkansas) than any candidate on either side. His record is stellar.

Yes, Romney is an intelligent and effective debater. So is Huckabee, consistently (and almost unarguably) the best communicator of all the candidates, again, on either side.

Yes, Romney now holds all the right conservative positions. So does Huckabee, who has held them throughout his life and political career. He even has a constitutional marriage amendment, an unborn child protection amendment, and a covenant marriage law to show for it. He mirrors (or surpasses) Romney on all the issues mentioned in Grudem's column.

Yes, Romney shares Christian values and ethics. So does Huckabee, who served as a Baptist pastor for 12 years before entering the political arena and says (unlike Romney) that his faith guides and defines him as he seeks to lead in public office.

I don't mean to spark a debate about the points above. I believe Dr. Grudem would agree with most everything I said. But that brings me to my original point. His real reason for supporting Romney is not that he is the best candidate for evangelicals, but because he fears Hillary and Rudy, and he thinks Romney has the best chance of pulling off a win.

So is Romney really our best chance of beating—not just Rudy, but Hillary, too? Romney has spent almost $60 million dollars (nearly $20 million being his own money) and remains in the low teens in national polls, with little movement. Huckabee has spent less than $2 million and currently places ahead of Romney nationally—and keeps climbing, particularly in the early states, like Iowa. What is more, he captures the hearts of the Republican base in a way Romney never will. This was proven by his 64 percent win at the Values Voter Debate, and again by his 51 percent win among attendees at the Values Voter Summit.

Huckabee knows Hillary better than any other candidate. In Arkansas, where more than 8 out of 10 elected officials are Democrats, Huckabee beat the Clinton political machine, not once, not twice, but four separate times. And even now, with lower name ID, Huckabee is right alongside Romney in head-to-head match-ups. What is more, Huckabee can beat Hillary in a debate, and do it without coming across as condescending or rude. I don't think you can overestimate the importance of that—and no other candidate can claim the same.

But that brings me to the most important thing, even beyond merely winning. Huckabee can win, but he can also bring the country together. After years of partisan bickering, we need a leader who can bring unity and take us up as a nation, not just to the right as a government. Huckabee he can do that because he can communicate the beauty of a consistent conservative worldview. He has the experience, the vision, and the authenticity to restore hope to America; to lead by changing the hearts and minds of the American people on the issues we all hold dear. I'll hope you'll join me in supporting him.